Best Hotels And Apartment Rentals, Especially For Families
With its walkable downtown area, unusual museums dealing with its Communist history, and so much delicious food, Tirana provided plenty to do, and I enjoyed every minute of my one week stay.
As an added bonus, Albania’s much cheaper prices meant it was easy to stay longer and get a bigger place to stay. Who doesn’t like that combo when traveling?
I will list the places we stayed in the city, the areas we thought were the best for location, things to do, and restaurants, and other great places we looked at or heard about from other travelers.
I specifically looked at places that would work for people traveling as a family, but the general advice about where to stay and recommended hotels works for other types of travelers too.
Check out our list of Things To Do In Tirana That Are Kid-Friendly for ideas of what to do while you are in town. There are great museums and parks to explore!
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Quick Top Picks- Apartment Rentals
2 Key Pieces of Advice:
There aren’t many multinational chain hotels yet in downtown Tirana, but you’ll find a couple, plus lots of smaller boutique hotels. And I am sure more are coming as Albania continues to be known as an up-and-coming European destination.
But for the best bang-for-your-buck, look for an apartment rental as there are tons to choose from. Some are in older, communist block style buildings but they can be incredibly inexpensive. Others are in newer buildings (there is a huge amount of construction going on in the city). So make sure to read the fine print, especially about elevators, before booking.
Best Neighbourhoods And Where To Stay In Each
Stay close to the main square (Skanderbeg Square) or The Pyramid if you can. Anything within a 5 minute walk of those two landmarks will put you in a pretty central location. Most of the museums and important monuments are in this area as well as good restaurants, the important churches and mosques– basically most of the stuff that’s on the tourist list.
Traffic in Tirana can be brutal. So while taxis aren’t too expensive, you’ll save a lot of time if you can just walk places.
The neighborhoods of Pazari I Ri (New Bazaar) and Blokku are two of the most popular neighbourhoods in Tirana for tourists (and for locals too- lots of restaurants, coffee shops, etc). And they are not far from the main tourist sites either. You can generally get to Skanderbeg Square or The Pyramid in 10-15 minutes from most places in these neighbourhoods.
So this is where I would look for lodgings- 1) right around Skanderbeg Square and The Pyramid, 2) Blloku, and 3) Pazari I Ri.
Skanderbeg Square
The main square is massive and a popular place for locals to come in the evening and meet up with friends, let their kids play, or just take a walk. The National History Museum is here, the historic Et’hem Bey Mosque, the Clock Tower, and of course, the statue to the national hero himself, Skanderbeg.
Lodgings Around Skanderbeg Square
More expensive than most Tirana apartments, this one is also larger than most with 3 BR and 2 full baths. You get 2 double beds as well as 2 single beds, perfect for a large family or anyone traveling with multiple generations. You also get a washer/ dryer and even a parking spot. And it’s a very short walk to Skanderbeg Square.
Consistently one of the highest-rated hotels in central Tirana, this hotel sits between Skanderbeg Square and The Pyramid making its location pretty perfect. A high- rise hotel, the views from the rooms on the upper floors and the restaurant are pretty spectacular. Not the cheapest hotel in town but if you want a great gym, spa, as well as a luxury room, the Plaza is your best bet.
Across from the National Library and just steps away from Et’Hem Bey Mosque on Skanderbeg Square, this loft apartment is simple, cozy, and perfectly situated near all the main tourist sites. Even the bus to the airport stops right outside. And the price is right too as it is usually under $100 a night. Be aware it is on the 4th floor without stairs.
Pazari I Ri/ New Bazaar
The Pazari i Ri/ New Bazaar is a fantastic neighborhood with tons of restaurants, bakeries, cafes and shops. It is only around a 10 min walk from the bazaar to Skanderbeg Square and maybe a 20 min walk to Blloku so you are close to everything.
The New Bazaar is touristy enough that souvenir items are for sale at many of the booths but it also still has fruit and vegetable stalls. And the enclosed shops adjacent to the open air section are mostly butcher shops and fish mongers so it really is a functioning market area for locals as well.
I loved pursuing the stalls in the bazaar as well as watching the pick-up soccer games among the kids in the evening in the small square behind. Lots of great restaurants fronted onto the pedestrian areas around the bazaar as well as the surrounding streets. We had breakfast there on a couple of mornings and particularly enjoyed eating there at night and watching the goings-on.
Lodgings Near Pazari I Ri
Faces and Places Boutique Hotel
Located on a quiet, one lane street near the bazaar, this unassuming hotel is located in a lovely older building. We stayed at a nearby apartment and walked by it several times admiring the exterior before we realized it was a hotel. Several of the rooms can sleep 3-4 people so it’s a good choice for families. A highly rated continental breakfast is included.
Mentioned above in my top picks, I love this apartment for its space, recent renovations, and excellent location. The apartment looks decidedly luxury but the price is pretty great considering all your amenities. Two bedrooms, a large living room, kitchen, washing machine, and spacious bathroom.
“Pazari i Ri”- at Farmers’ Market: 2 beds/2 bath
Also mentioned above in my top picks, I loved our week at this spacious Airbnb. The owners went out of her way to make sure we were comfortable. If you book it, make sure to get her taxi guy’s contact information- he quickly became our go-to taxi call. The cafe on the ground floor of the building became a nightly stop as we made our way home and the Spar supermarket next door was so convenient.
Across the street was an excellent bakery and with all the restaurants at the New Bazaar just a 2 minute walk away, what more could you want in a location? The beds in the apartment were comfortable, the washing machine and AC worked great and all in all and the price was superb. One of my favorite all time Airbnbs.
Blloku
Blokku has a reputation as the most stylish neighbourhood in Tirana. This area is where the former high level communist party members called home, but it is now home to the best nightclubs, trendiest restaurants, and fashionable people.
Exploring Blloku is on our list of 11 Fun and Fascinating Things To Do in Tirana that are kid-friendly.
A couple of the Tirana locals I talked to don’t actually recommend staying in Blloku because they said it can get too loud at night, especially if you are near a nightclub. So be sure to look carefully at listings on Google Maps to see what’s around.
Lodgings Around Blloku
Situated above an Italian restaurant of the same name, they offer two spacious rooms that can sleep up to four people each and the price is very budget friendly. Plus, you have a well-reviewed restaurant right below you so talk about convenience.
Stay here if living steps away from homemade Italian food sounds amazing.
Mentioned above in the Top Picks section, this hotel is a great combination of price and amenities. In a high rise near the edge of the neighbourhood closest to The Pyramid, the hotel is in a great location for everything you will want to see in Tirana. And it does have rooms large enough for up to 6 people.
Across the tree-lined boulevard from the blockhouse checkpoint that marks the entrance to the Blloku neighbourhood, this upscale hotel has gorgeous grounds including an outdoor pool surrounded by gardens. A highly rated breakfast is included too. You can get suites that sleep 3-4 and cots can be added to most double rooms for no charge.
Stay here if you are looking for a bit of a quiet retreat after a busy day sight-seeing.
As mentioned above, the Marriott is the only chain hotel that is easily walkable to most of the tourist sites (at least so far). It is part of the new development that also includes the national football stadium and is easily recognized by the distinctive red and black building materials of both. The hotel has great reviews and connecting rooms are available for families.
Stay here if you have points with Marriott or feel more comfortable with a familiar hotel brand.
Tirana Airport
Staying out by the airport may seem great for convenience but it can take you an hour or more to get into town if traffic is bad. They are building a train that may or may not be opening in 2026 but for now you need to rent your own car (not recommended as the city gets confusing and parking is hard) or hire taxi (about 30 euros each way). Or you can take the airport shuttle for about 5 euros from the bus stop near the terminal to the bus stop near Skanderbeg Square.
If you do decide to stay out by the airport (which I did before my early flight out), I recommend the Best Western Ark Hotel. Rooms were comfy and large, the pool was very nice. They even fixed me a to-go breakfast bag for my early flight. The restaurant onsite is fine- more expensive than it should be but food is good and the waitstaff was super nice.
See More Hotels And Apartment Rentals In Tirana
If you want to see more of what Tirana has to offer in terms of accommodations, check out this interactive map.
Final Thoughts
I hope you find the perfect accommodation for your trip to Tirana and that you love your stay there. I am not sure what I was expecting before visiting but it wasn’t that I would be sad to be leaving after a week.
Happy Trails! Amanda
